The explanation of Israel for bombing the Catholic Church in Gaza: “An involuntary deviation”
Catholic Church in Gaza after photo bombardment: Omar al-qattaa / AFP / Profimedia
The Israeli army on Wednesday reported that last Thursday's attack on the Holy Family Church in the Gaza Strip, the only Catholic church in this Palestinian enclave, an attack with three dead, occurred following an “involuntary deviation” during a military operation in the area, reports the EFE agency.
“The investigation revealed that, during an operation of the Israeli defense forces in the area of Gaza, the church was accidentally hit due to an accidental ammunition deviation,” says the Israeli army in a statement.
During the operation “adjustments” were performed to improve the accuracy of the fire, and after the incident “the instructions for opening the fire in the proximity of religious buildings, shelters and other sensitive locations were clarified,” adds the Israeli army.
The attack took place last Thursday around 10:20 (07:20 GMT), when about 500 displaced people, including children and people with disabilities, had been sheltered in the church.
Three people died from this attack and were also injured. Among the wounded are the parish priest Argentine Gabriel Romanelli, to whom the former Sovereign of his compatriot, Pope Francis, calls them daily to ask about the evolution of the situation in the Palestinian enclin.
Following the bombing on Thursday, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattistist Pizzaballa, together with the Greek-Orthodox Patriarch Theophil III visited the Gaza Strip for three days, in an ecclesiastical delegation that offered humanitarian aid and expressed its solidarity.
The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, questioned the Israeli version on Saturday, which attributed from the beginning the attack of “wandering ammunition”. In a statement granted to the Italian public television Rai, the head of the Vatican diplomacy said that “it can be legitimately bent” if it was truly a deliberate mistake or bombing, considering that in the Middle East there are “an element of moderation”.
